Current:Home > reviewsGene Kelly's widow says their nearly 50-year age gap was 'not an issue' -Wealth Nexus Pro
Gene Kelly's widow says their nearly 50-year age gap was 'not an issue'
View
Date:2025-04-12 19:06:37
Gene Kelly's widow never saw a problem with their nearly 50-year age gap.
Patricia Ward Kelly, who married the "Singin' in the Rain" star when she was 31 and he was 78, said that the "age issue was not an issue" for her in an interview with Fox News published Wednesday.
"(The) funny thing is, I never really even thought about it because he was so young at heart," she shared. "He was young in the way he spoke, in his demeanor, in his brightness of his mind, certainly."
In fact, Kelly told Fox that she "didn't even add up the difference" in years between them until tabloids started making "such a big deal" about it.
Kelly previously told The Irish Times that she met her future husband in 1985, when he was 73 and she was 26 and she was working on a documentary about the Smithsonian museum that he hosted. At the time, she said she had never heard of the actor and only learned that he was "really famous" after working with him for a week. Six months later, he invited her to his home in California and asked her to help write his memoir.
Kristin Cavallari,Mark Estes and the sexist relationship age gap discourse
Kelly was married to the "American in Paris" star until his death in 1996 at age 83. She was his third wife, and he had three children from his previous marriages. In her previous Irish Times interview, Kelly admitted that when she and Gene married, she lied to the press that she was five years older, claiming she was 36 instead of 31.
Speaking with Fox News, Kelly said her parents "understood" the relationship and "didn't see it as any problem."
Kelly has worked to protect her late husband's legacy since his death and has criticized an upcoming biopic about the actor, telling Business Insider in 2022, "That was one of Gene's strongest objections. He said, 'I absolutely do not want a biopic.'"
Whoopi Goldberg, Kristin Cavallari defend relationship age gaps
Kelly's comments come after the trailer for the Anne Hathaway movie "The Idea of You," which depicts the romance between a woman in her 40s and a man in his 20s, recently reignited a conversation about age gaps in relationships. While discussing the trailer on "The View," Whoopi Goldberg, 68, revealed that one of her most recent relationships was with a man 40 years her senior.
Age gaps in relationshipscan be tough. How to make it work.
"Your age is not what's going to get me into your arms," Goldberg said. "It's not your age that I'm concerned about unless you're under 18."
Kristin Cavallari, 37, also recently slammed critics of her relationship with Mark Estes, 24. "When they’re all up in arms that im dating a 24 year old. Andddd?" she wrote in the caption of a TikTok, in which she mouthed the words, "So what are you gonna do about it?"
Contributing: Jay Stahl, USA TODAY
veryGood! (12)
Related
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- 5 simple tips and predictions will set up your NCAA tournament bracket for March Madness
- Beauty YouTuber Jessica Pettway Dead at 36 After Cervical Cancer Battle
- David Guetta and Girlfriend Jessica Ledon Welcome First Baby Together
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Pennsylvania House speaker pushes for same-day registration and widely available early voting
- 'Paid Leave For All': Over 70 companies, brands closed today to push for paid family leave
- Shop Customer-Approved Big Hair Products for Thin Hair and Fine Hair
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- Run, Don’t Walk to Coach Outlet to Save 20% Off Bundles That’re a Match Made in Heaven
Ranking
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- David Guetta and Girlfriend Jessica Ledon Welcome First Baby Together
- Child’s decomposed body found in duffel bag in Philadelphia neighborhood
- Arsonist sets fire to Florida Jewish center, but police do not believe it was a hate crime
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Sunken 18th century British warship in Florida identified as the lost 'HMS Tyger'
- NBA playoffs picture: 20 most important games this week feature Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers
- Subpoenas on Maui agencies and officials delay release of key report into deadly wildfire
Recommendation
2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
Chinese billionaire pleads guilty to straw donor scheme in New York and Rhode Island
'American Idol': Past contestant Alyssa Raghu hijacks best friend's audition to snag a golden ticket
Appeals panel asks West Virginia court whether opioids distribution can cause a public nuisance
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
The April 8 solar eclipse could impact power. Here's why.
2 dead, 5 wounded in mass shooting in Washington, D.C., police say
Bettors counting on upsets as they put money on long shots this March Madness